DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The overall goal of this grant application is to promote a research program at Morgan State University designed to investigate drug abuse and disorders associated with drug use. Established drug abuse investigators will be recruited to Morgan State University and provided support, equipment and resources necessary to conduct research into drug abuse and related disorders. Current Morgan State University faculty will be provided professional development activities allowing them to develop and/or expand their capabilities to conduct research into drug abuse and related disorders. Additionally, research training for students will occur once the research infrastructure has developed to accommodate them. Training for research into drug abuse and related disorders will begin at the undergraduate level and eventually extend into master and doctoral levels; these training programs will be designed to encourage and direct minority students into careers investigating drug abuse and related disorders. This proposed research program will focus on the cultural, social class and gender variations in risk and protective factors pertaining to drug abuse and disorders associated with drug use and will become an integral part of the current Morgan State University Prevention Science Program. The proposed program will be administered in two Phases. Phase 1 will focus on identifying and hiring a senior level research scientist under the guidance of a HBCU Scientific Advisory Committee. As Principal Investigator in Phase 2, the senior level research scientist will build the necessary research infrastructure at Morgan State University and conduct state-of-the-art research into drug abuse and associated disorders.